Car-coupling



(No Model.)

G. J. S ELK.

GAR GOUPLING.

Patented Nov. 22, 1887.

INVENTOR 6524 0 Mum WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

EETCE.

PATENT GUSTAV J. SELK, OF MONIOO, WISCONSIN.

CAR-COUPLING.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,804, dated November 22, 1887.

Application filed April 6, 1887. Serial No. 233,898.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV J. SELK, of Monico, in the county of Forest and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings, and has for its object to provide a coupler readily attached to any car, and which may be used in connection with the old pin-coupler without alteration, and wherein the coupler will automatically couple with an opposing coupler, and wherein also the cars may be uncoupled either from the sides or top.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, as will. be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin both the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a car having my coupler attached, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of opposing couplers in a coupled position.

In carrying out the invention, A represents a car provided with the usual link draw-head, A, to the under side of which and a distance to the rear brackets B are attached in any suitable or approved manner, between which brackets the coupler D is pivoted. The said coupler D from its pivotal point outward is preferably made flat on top and bottom, as shown, and is provided at its outer end with an integral arrowhead, D, of a width equal to the greatest width of the coupler, the inner edge of the arrow-head being adapted, when the coupler is in its horizontal or normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, to project beyond the mouth of the ordinary draw-head, A.

A distance in front and to the rear of the pivotal point the coupler is more or less contracted, as at c, and in front of the pivotal point the said coupler is provided with an upwardly-projecting lug, E, adapted to limit its upward movement, the said lug being of a height sufficient to insure the coupler a normal horizontal position. v

The coupler D is provided at the rear with an upwardly-curved integral arm,'F, the ob- (No model.)

ject of the said curved arm being to afford ample room between the bottom of the car and the axle, whereby the arrow-head may have a full swing downward and readily permit an opposing coupler to pass over and interlock, as shown in Fig. 2. The rear end of the said curved arm is carried downward and provided with a weighted extremity, F, whereby the coupler when idle is retained at all times in a horizontal position.

A U-shaped bar, H, having outwardly-extending lever-arms h h integral with its memhers, is made to encompass the usual drawhead, A, the said bar being made to project horizontally below the draw-head Aand parallel with and above the coupler D, as shown in Fig. 1. The bar H is pivoted to the sill of the car at the extremity of one member, and the lever-arm h, integral with said member, is provided with a counter-balance, W, the opposite lever-arm, h, being made to engage a vertical rack, K, attached near the side of the car. Integral with the U-lever near its fulcrum a vertical arm, K, is projected upward beyond the roof and made to engage a horizontal rack, k, at the top of the car shown in Fig. 1. Thus, if the opposing coupler is a pin-coupler, the old draw-heads A may be utilized, and if the two couplers are of the same construction the one arrow head engaging the other will ride over and interlock automatically, as shown in Fig. 2, without guidance'from a train-man.

To uncouple from the top, the lever-arm K is pulled in the direction of the foot-board M, whereupon the under horizontal portion of the U-lever will bear against and upon the coupler D, pressing the same downward and away from its fellow. \Vhen the car is uncoupled the brakeman need only press the said lever arm K outward with his foot to restore the lever H .to its normal position. When the lever-arm K is left in the first-named position in contact with the rack Ic,the car may be bumped without coupling. The cars may be uncoupled from the side by raising one horizontal arm, h, or pressing down upon the other, h.

The draw-head A may be dispensed'with and the coupler D be pivoted directly to the car-body without departing from the spirit of my invention. The prime object of the invention, however, is to provide a substitute for the pin-and-link coupler which may be attaehed without removing the old draw-head or injury to the car.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a car-coupling, the coupler D, provided with the arrow-shaped head D, the up wardly-projeeting lug E, and the downwardlycurved and weighted arm F F, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, of the coupler D, pivoted to the under side of the draw-head and provided with the arrow-shaped head D, the projection E, and the downwardly-curved and weighted arm F F, and means for operating GUSTAV J. SELK.

Witnesses:

W. H. HAMMOND, HARRY STEBBINs. 

